Can police use physical force to arrest you in the UK?

Yes. Police are lawfully permitted to use reasonable and proportionate force to carry out an arrest under s.117 of PACE 1984 and s.3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967. What amounts to "reasonable" force depends on the circumstances, and officers are required to use the minimum force necessary to achieve the lawful objective.

The law

Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, Section 117. Police may use reasonable force in exercising any PACE power, including arrest and search, if necessary.
Criminal Law Act 1967, Section 3. A person may use reasonable force in the prevention of crime or to effect a lawful arrest. Applies to both constables and civilians.
Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, Section 76. Codifies the test for reasonable force in self-defence and defence of others: honest belief that force was necessary; proportionality assessed on the facts as believed.
Police Act 1996, Section 89. Offence of wilfully obstructing a constable in execution of their duty. Physically resisting a lawful arrest may constitute this offence.

What to do

Do not physically resist a lawful arrest: this is a separate criminal offence and may result in additional charges.
If you believe the force used was excessive, do not retaliate: note the details (officer number, nature of force, any witnesses or CCTV) and report it afterwards.
Report excessive force to the IOPC through its website or through the force's professional standards department.
Seek medical attention if injured, and have injuries documented as soon as possible.
A solicitor can advise on both a complaint to the IOPC and a potential civil claim for assault or battery.

In detail

When a police officer effects a lawful arrest, they are entitled to use reasonable force if the person being arrested does not comply voluntarily. This is a long-standing feature of English law, codified in statute and governed by both common law principles and professional standards.

The statutory basis

Section 117 of PACE 1984 states that where any provision of PACE confers a power on a constable, they may use reasonable force, if necessary, in the exercise of that power. Section 3(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1967 provides a broader principle: a person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime, or in effecting or assisting in the lawful arrest of offenders, suspected offenders, or persons unlawfully at large.

What is "reasonable" force? The test for reasonableness is objective but assessed with reference to what the officer genuinely believed at the time. The leading case is Palmer v R [1971], confirmed in domestic law by the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (s.76). Key principles are:

Force must be necessary: if a person submits calmly, no force is needed or permitted. Force must be proportionate to the threat or resistance presented. The officer does not have to wait to be struck first but must not use pre-emptive force without honest belief that force was necessary. A response may be disproportionate if carried out in the heat of the moment, but the standard is more lenient than in cold-blooded circumstances.

Section 76 of the CJIA 2008 also provides that a person acting in self-defence or defence of another may use reasonable force, and extends this principle to constables acting in an operational context.

The National Decision Model

The College of Policing's National Decision Model (NDM) governs how officers are trained to decide on force. It requires officers to assess threat/harm/risk, consider options from least to most intrusive (presence, verbal engagement, soft techniques, hard techniques, weapons), and select the option that achieves the objective with the minimum necessary force.

Use of specific force options

Specific use of force techniques, such as handcuffing, Taser deployment, baton strikes, or CS/PAVA spray, are governed by College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice (APP) and force-specific policies. Taser (conducted energy device) deployment is specifically regulated and must only be used where there is a genuine risk of violence that cannot be managed by other means.

Excessive force

If an officer uses force that exceeds what was reasonable and necessary, they may be liable for assault or battery in civil law, and could face criminal prosecution for assault or misconduct in public office. The IOPC investigates complaints of excessive force. Victims of unlawful force can bring civil proceedings for damages.

Resisting arrest

Physically resisting a lawful arrest is itself an offence (s.89 Police Act 1996: wilful obstruction of a constable). Resisting arrest does not give a person the right to use force in return against officers, as the arrest is presumed lawful until established otherwise by a court.